Sunday, February 12, 2012

What do you do in a data-driven special ed world to show that a child with autism understands basic skills so you can declare a goal mastered? So you can "prove" to those that "want to know" that this child is super smart. Has so much potential if only the key could be found to unlock his world.

A 4 year old child that screams rather than tells you an answer.
Recites rote phrases and entire songs.
Can't answer a "simple" question like "what is this?"

You KNOW he knows the answers. You have goals that you need to show progress on. You KNOW he knows it-but can't prove it.

You search and search for the key....and, if you are lucky, it comes to you one day, perhaps accidentally when that 4 year old cute-as a-button child reads aloud a word on a paper. You write more words. He reads them aloud. You write a sentence- let's say, "No Screaming"-and show it to him when he screams--and he immediately stops. Then says. "No screaming" and walks away quietly.

I have a key...maybe not the key to his entire world-but its a key.

So I made these:
Match the function of objects to the picture:

Match the action to the picture:

And he matches them. It holds his interest for an entire session.
AND
he is beginning to verbalize the answers, too!

This is opening up a whole new world of how to teach him and how to find out what he knows.